This method described herein combines two known technologies to significantly improve the efficiency of energy, carbon, carbon monoxide and hydrogen production starting with a carbon-based feedstock. This higher efficiency produces fewer gaseous and solid pollutants and fewer global warming emissions.
Contributory benefits of the claimed combination arise from claimed subcombinations with other known technologies, which greatly enhance the production of hydrogen, oxygen, energy, synthetic carbonaceous gaseous fuels and synthetic carbonaceous liquid fuels. In addition, these subcombinations easily enable the collection of almost all the carbon dioxide produced.
An object of the invention is a highly efficient process for producing energy in the form of electricity and steam from carbonaceous fuels. A further object is to produce carbon from carbonaceous fuels. A further object is the production of hydrogen gas, synthetic carbonaceous gaseous fuels, and synthetic carbonaceous liquid fuels from carbonaceous fuels. Carbonaceous fuels are fossil fuels, such as natural gas, oil, coal, and biomass. Synthetic carbonaceous gaseous fuels are methane and C1 to C4 hydrocarbons. Synthetic carbonaceous liquid fuels are methanol, gasoline and diesel fuel.
A further object of the invention is a process that will produce energy, carbon and hydrogen with low or zero carbon dioxide emissions.
A further object of the invention is to produce hydrogen in support of a “United States” goal to reduce American reliance on foreign oil through a balance of new domestic energy production and new technology to promote greater energy efficiency. Producing hydrogen for these purposes is consistent with the United States Department of Energy's FreedomCAR program, which is a joint government and private sector research effort on advanced, efficient fuel cell technology which uses hydrogen to power automobiles without creating any pollution.
However, producing hydrogen from existing technologies often involves processes that generate more pollution than would have been produced by direct utilization of the fuels used to create the hydrogen.
Thus, achieving these objects will have significant benefits to the environment and the communities producing electricity and promoting utilization of hydrogen as an alternative clean burning fuel.
The subject invention is for a low emission, advanced combined cycle for fossil- and biomass-fueled power generation, for hydrogen production, for synthetic carbonaceous liquid fuels, for synthetic carbonaceous gaseous fuels, and for carbon production to achieve these objects. In the method of the invention, two to nine technologies, known in the art, are combined in various integrated processes. The combinations are unique and in the means for integrating two of the technologies is new. The nine technologies include an Electric Arc Hydrogen Plasma Black Reactor, a Molten Carbonate Direct Carbon Fuel Cell, a Water Gas Shift Reactor, a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, a Water Electrolyzer, a Fischer-Tropsch Catalytic Reactor, a Methanol Catalytic Converter, a Catalytic Methanator and a Steam Boiler Rankine Cycle. In addition, the concept of combining an Electric Arc Hydrogen Plasma Black Reactor with a Direct Carbon Fuel Cell by cycling a molten salt between the two technologies is new.
The Direct Carbon Fuel Cell has been described in literature and is under development at the United States Department of Energy at its Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Electric Arc Hydrogen Plasma Black Reactor was in commercial use in Canada producing carbon black. The Water Gas Shift Reactor, the Steam Boiler Rankine Cycle, the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, the Fischer-Tropsch Catalytic Reactor, the Methanol Catalytic Converter, the Catalytic Methanator, and the Water Electrolyzer are well known and in commercial use.